Bojangles Inc (BOJA), Party City Holdco Inc (PRTY), Virtu Financial Inc (VIRT), Epirus Biopharmaceuticals Inc (EPRS), and Diplomat Pharmacy Inc (DPLO) will begin trading options today
Beginning today, the International Securities Exchange (ISE) will begin listing options on Wall Street newcomers Bojangles Inc (NASDAQ:BOJA), Party City Holdco Inc (NYSE:PRTY), and Virtu Financial Inc (NASDAQ:VIRT). Additionally, a number of biotechs will begin trading options, including Epirus Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:EPRS) and Diplomat Pharmacy Inc (NYSE:DPLO). Here's a quick roundup of how BOJA, PRTY, VIRT, EPRS, and DPLO have been performing on the charts in the lead-up to today's big event.
Fast-food concern BOJA began trading on May 8, after pricing its initial public offering (IPO) at $19 . The stock popped as high as $27.97 on its first day of trading -- and rallied to a post-IPO peak of $28.45 on May 14 -- but settled last night at $25.32.
PRTY's IPO was priced at $17, and when the shares began trading on April 16, they rose to an intraday peak of $20.84. The party supply specialist hit its highest perch to date of $22.60 on May 13, just before reporting earnings, and was last seen lingering near $21.83.
VIRT priced its IPO at $19 per share, before jumping to $23.67 on April 16, its first day of trading. Shares of the financial firm went on to hit an all-time intraday peak of $24.25 on April 20 -- a quarter more than its average 12-month price target -- but have since retreated to the $22 area.
Meanwhile, among the biotechs dipping their toes into the options market tomorrow is EPRS. The stock has been a long-term laggard -- shedding 43% on a year-over-year basis. More recently, the security's early March rally attempt was halted in the $12 region -- a speed bump for roughly a year -- with the shares last seen much lower, at $5.94. Analysts have kept the faith, though, with all three brokerage firms maintaining a "strong buy" rating. Plus, the average 12-month price target of $13 rests in territory not seen since last June..
DPLO, on the other hand, has rallied more than 30% year-to-date, and hit its highest perch on record in late April. Last night, the stock settled at $35.68 -- about 11% below the consensus 12-month price target of $40. Meanwhile, although the equity has been making strong strides on the charts, and recently upped its full-year guidance, short interest accounts for a healthy 9.5% of the stock's available float, and would take eight sessions to cover, at DPLO's average daily pace of trading.
Elsewhere in the biotech sphere, Alder Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ALDR), Cara Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CARA), Coherus Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:CHRS), CorMedix Inc. (NYSEMKT:CRMD), Immune Design Corp (NASDAQ:IMDZ), Invivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp (NASDAQ:NVIV), SAGE Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SAGE), Spark Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ONCE), Verastem Inc (NASDAQ:VSTM), and Vital Therapies Inc (NASDAQ:VTL) will also begin trading options today.